The present invention relates to a shutter pin for a developing cartridge and a developing cartridge provided with the same.
The term xe2x80x9cdeveloping cartridgexe2x80x9d refers to a cartridge integrally comprising a developing member for developing with toner an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a toner accommodating portion for containing the toner, the cartridge being demountably mounted to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording material using an electrophotographic image forming process. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (e.g. an LED printer, a laser beam printer or the like), an electrophotographic printer-type facsimile machine, an electrophotographic word processor or the like.
Heretofore, the following structure is known as multi-color image forming apparatus for forming a multi-color image on a recording material through an electrophotographic process. A plurality of developing devices accommodating different color developers, which are arranged on a rotation selection mechanism, are disposed around an electrophotographic photosensitive drum. A developing device accommodating a color developer is brought to face the photosensitive drum to develop a latent image thereon. The developed image is transferred onto the recording material. The developing and transferring operations are carried out for respective colors, so that a multi-color image is formed. The developing device is in the form of a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus to facilitate the maintenance operation of the users.
Generally, the structure for inserting the developing device into the main assembly of the apparatus is such that the developing device is inserted in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller from a predetermined position, in order to reduce the area of the opening of the main assembly.
The present invention is intended to further improve such a developing device.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a shutter pin for creating a grounding connection between a developing cartridge and a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus when the developing cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a developing cartridge provided with a shutter pin capable of establishing a grounding connection between a developing cartridge and a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when it is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shutter pin that a good operativity in assembling, and developing cartridge having the shutter pin. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shutter pin usable with a developing cartridge that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising a pin-mounting portion for mounting the shutter pin to a cartridge frame of the developing cartridge; a shutter mounting portion for mounting, to the cartridge frame, a shutter member for covering a portion where a developing roller of the developing cartridge is exposed from the cartridge frame; an electroconductive portion for establishing an electrical grounding connection with the main assembly of the apparatus when the developing cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus.